Pokemon: Farm Story-Chapter 169: Mew Falls into Thought

That was all there was to it, really.

You could say speed was Shiny Pidgeot's greatest strength—also the only thing worth praising about its flying.

There wasn't much else to commend.

Just that blinding speed and reckless flying posture of Shiny Pidgeot...

Even Natsume, someone capable of knocking out Pokémon barehanded, found it hard to endure.

Let alone the average Trainer.

Any regular Trainer hoping to ride a Pidgeot—

Aside from prepping all safety measures and bracing themselves mentally—

They also had to strike a deal with Pidgeot beforehand: under no circumstances was it to fly at top speed.

Normal humans simply couldn't handle that kind of velocity.

Back to the present, on the Corviknight's back—

Natsume and Mei sat just like they did when they first set out.

Only now, the space between them had shrunk, to the point where they were practically leaning against one another.

There's a term for that—social distance.

The closer people are emotionally, the more they unconsciously reduce that distance.

And people who aren't as close? Even when unaware, they'll instinctively keep some space between them.

Natsume and Mei were now well past the distance typical between friends.

Their relationship was now that of a couple.

"It still feels a little unreal," Mei murmured.

Feeling the cool night breeze, she instinctively leaned toward the warmth beside her.

Seeing her resting against him, Natsume subtly adjusted his posture so Mei could lean on him more comfortably, with less effort.

"Maybe because we've already been living like this for a while now."

For most couples, things start with tentative steps, teasing flirtation, drawn-out ambiguity... before finally breaking through that invisible wall and freely indulging in each other.

After that sweet, sticky phase passes, it eventually settles into calm routine.

You grow used to having someone beside you.

Living out each uneventful day together.

That's how it usually goes.

But Natsume and Mei?

They'd skipped all the preamble.

And jumped straight to the "married couple living together" phase.

Though they didn't always wake up to each other's face in the morning, the first thing they'd do was look for signs of the other.

If Natsume had business early in the day, he'd tell the overly responsible Indeedee where he was going—

So Mei could know his whereabouts.

Mei did the same.

On the farm, that poor female Indeedee had basically become their live-in messenger.

Any little secret, any random tidbit, usually passed through her first.

It got to the point where female Indeedee started giving them these oddly... maternal looks.

Hard to describe, really.

If you had to label it, maybe like a stan mom watching her favorite ship become canon?

Yeah, Natsume didn't really get any of that stuff.

He knew just enough to recognize the general vibe.

And that was the closest comparison he could come up with for the way Indeedee now looked at them.

To her, this must've felt like watching her OTP finally go official.

Well, not quite.

Romance is just the beginning.

You could say the ship had finally found its racetrack and was now properly off to the races.

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"At last," Mei whispered.

"Maybe that really is the reason," she added, snuggled against Natsume's chest, seamlessly stepping into her new role.

Except—calling it a "new role" didn't feel quite right.

Because she'd long been used to Natsume being part of her everyday life.

The chill of the evening wind brushed past.

And with it, Mei felt a strange drowsiness settle in.

Like a weight inside her had finally dropped.

At the start of this journey, she'd been a rookie Trainer just setting out.

Natsume was a newly minted farm owner, not much more experienced.

They were close in age, each chasing their own dream.

But not long after, before Mei could even fully grow into a skilled Trainer—

Natsume rocketed ahead at a pace she simply couldn't fathom.

Beating Legendaries. Capturing them. Becoming the youngest Gym Leader in Jadeleaf history.

Just a few lines on paper—

But Mei had only ever seen stuff like that in textbooks.

To her, people like that were distant, unreachable—legends she could only read about and admire.

And now, one such legend stood before her.

Not just someone she knew—

But a boy she liked.

The quiet, gentle youth in her memories, always smiling as he patted Pokémon on the head, had suddenly become someone remarkable.

It was like that awkward, mumbly weirdo from your class suddenly turning into a nationwide heartthrob overnight.

The sheer contrast had made Mei question if she still had a place in Natsume's world.

Different standings meant seeing different horizons.

Mei had been terrified of losing common ground, of running out of things to say, of quietly slipping out of his life.

That fear had led her to go off "training" for a long time.

Running from place to place, exhausting herself just to stay in motion.

Then...

She found herself once again at the farm's gate.

Familiar, yet tinged with strangeness, the sight no longer filled her with dread.

"Natsume."

"What is it?"

"Nothing. Just... wanted to say your name."

She nuzzled further into his embrace, voice muffled and sleepy.

She was exhausted.

Didn't feel it while walking around earlier, but now that they'd stopped, everything ached.

Her ankles, her shoulders, even the muscles in her back.

She really should've rested properly last night.

She winced at the thought.

Trying to catch Natsume's first Gym challenge, she'd rushed back the moment her own training ended.

Didn't even pause for proper rest.

Tonight—hot bath, good sleep.

She was tired, yes, but skipping a shower was not an option.

She had to be squeaky clean before bed...

Slowly, Mei's eyes drifted shut.

"Let me nap for a few minutes," she murmured.

"Mm. I'll wake you when we get to the farm."

Natsume's arms naturally wrapped around her waist, turning him into a human safety harness.

Dozing mid-flight was way riskier than sleepy driving, after all.

You could be nodding off one second and free-falling through the sky the next.

Mei rubbed her head against his chest, finding a cozy spot to rest.

Her body turned slightly—her casually tied ponytail brushing against Natsume's chin.

She wrapped her arms around his torso like a sloth clinging to a tree, letting herself doze.

Hearing the soft sounds from his passengers, Corviknight quietly reduced altitude and speed.

Hmph. Natsume didn't even need to say a word—I already knew what he wanted.

This kind of teamwork? No other Pokémon could match it!

Clearly, I am Natsume's most important steed.

With a proud lift of its head, Corviknight's eyes gleamed with smug confidence.

Sometimes, Corviknight felt like a corporate drone.

When there was no work, it felt like it was wasting away. When there was work, it wished it could disappear.

But just as it was about to be let go? Suddenly life didn't seem so bad anymore.

Even with the slower pace, their destination finally came into view.

"Mei, we're here."

Natsume probably didn't even realize it—

But his voice was much gentler than usual.

Corviknight turned its head, its expression like it had just seen a ghost.

Excuse me? Boss Natsume?

That's how you talk to people now?

Pretty sure that's not your usual tone with me.

What, did they swap out your voice actor or something?

"Mm..."

Rubbing her eyes, Mei felt like all the strength had drained from her body.

She had that all-too-familiar feeling of not wanting to move.

Her gaze instinctively lingered for a few seconds on the Poké Balls clipped to her waist.

Then, she looked toward Natsume, who was getting ready to dismount from Corviknight.

Spreading her arms out, she spoke in a tone that was practically a whine:

"Carry me back. I don't wanna move. Too lazy."

Yep. That was very cute.

Natsume paused for a moment, considering the sight before him as he hopped off Corviknight.

"Caw caw."

He gave Corviknight a few pats on the neck. Without needing any further instructions, Corviknight immediately lowered itself.

Its whole body pressed to the ground, the bird made every effort to resemble a perfectly respectable stepping stool.

I am a step, I am a step, I am a step...

Corviknight repeated the mantra to itself like self-convincing.

"Let's see..."

After giving Mei a quick once-over, Natsume suddenly reached out.

His arm slid under the crook of her knees and, with a swift motion, he lifted her up.

In a princess carry.

"W-Wait, hold on!"

"Wait a sec!!"

Mei, who had been drowsy just a second ago, was instantly wide awake.

A sudden surge of energy filled her exhausted body.

Like a cat being dragged into the bathroom for a bath, she started struggling wildly.

"Stop squirming."

"You're making it hard for me to get a good grip."

A lie, of course.

For Natsume, carrying Mei was no effort at all.

With her weight, forget the princess carry—he could probably lift her with one hand.

Ah, the physique of a Super Hisuian (crossed out).

"You don't like this position?"

Feeling Mei squirming frantically in his arms, Natsume asked with some confusion.

He'd read online that most girls actually dreamed of being carried like this, didn't they?

"It's not that I don't like it!"

"That's not the issue at all!"

Mei wanted to say it wasn't the pose she had a problem with.

She was just embarrassed.

She didn't want the Pokémon on the farm to see this.

Natsume, princess-carrying her in broad daylight, in front of everyone.

So mortifying!

It was like getting caught doing something indecent at home—by your cat.

And Pokémon were way smarter than cats.

Which just made the embarrassment that much worse.

"Then it's not a problem."

Ignoring her protests entirely, Natsume remained utterly composed.

Surprisingly assertive at this moment, too.

"Indeedee, open the door for me, please."

Since both of his hands were full, he called for his trusty assistant.

On the farm, Natsume had two major helpers.

The external brain who helped with planning and logistics—Slowking.

And the one who handled household tasks and general chores—his little sister-like Indeedee.

Indeedee's abilities were beyond question.

And she had a great personality too.

Way better than that annoying Slowking, who always looked at people like they were idiots.

Yes, Natsume had the honor of being one of the many who'd been judged lacking by Slowking's standards.

After all, whenever Slowking was around, Natsume had long since given up thinking for himself.

It was only natural to be looked down on.

At this point, he could accept those condescending eyes with total peace of mind.

"Ee?"

When she opened the door, Indeedee froze for a moment at the scene before her.

Bathed in the warm light spilling from the house, Natsume stood there holding Mei in a princess carry.

Meanwhile, Mei had both hands clamped tightly over her face, unwilling to let anyone see her expression.

But from the flush spreading all the way to her neck, it wasn't hard to guess how she felt.

"Ee~"

Welcome home~

Collecting herself quickly, Indeedee stepped aside and welcomed Natsume and Mei back inside.

Though that auntie-like grin on her face was utterly impossible to hide.

Ah, youth really is something.

...Wait, wasn't she technically still a kid too?

With a tiny hand propped under her chin, Indeedee pondered the thought.

But the question was soon forgotten.

Wearing a smile that could only be described as "full of mysterious implications," she quietly watched the interaction between Natsume and Mei.

"I'm going to my room!"

"Don't forget to shower first."

"I know, I know. Wanna join me, Natsume?"

Like she'd just remembered something, Mei turned her head with a mischievous smirk.

She read online that guys usually get all flustered when girls said this kind of thing—

"Sure, I'll grab some towels."

Natsume looked at her with perfect calm.

Not even the faintest trace of embarrassment. He even started to move as if to fetch the towels.

"My apologies. Excuse me. I'll see myself out. Good night."

Four quick and polite phrases later, Mei vanished from the room in a flash.

Damn it! Why isn't this like what the internet said!?

She was sure it said boys always get super shy in moments like this!

Unfortunately, Natsume was not the kind of sweet, innocent boy who'd blush at a little teasing.

He was a grade-A, world-class smooth talker.

"All right, bedtime."

Natsume smiled as he addressed the Indeedee girl, who was still happily spectating by the sofa like a front-row audience at a drama.

"Ee~"

Okay~ Get some good rest, Natsume.

Waving a hand, she kept her usual gentle tone.

"Good night."

With that, Natsume headed straight upstairs.

Since a lot of the Pokémon on the farm stayed up late or liked to wander around at night, he usually didn't turn off the lights.

"Mew?"

Not long after Natsume left, Mew floated in from outside, tilting its head at the sight of Indeedee grinning from ear to ear.

What's up with that grin?

"Ee~"

Oh, nothing. Just that Natsume and Mei finally got together.

"Mew?"

Huh?

What the heck happened while I was gone for a few hours!?

Mew fell into deep thought.

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